Leer.



V. MULHOLLAND.

LEER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909.

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Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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LEER. 7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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LEER

APPLICATION FILED JUNE12,1909.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

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V. MULHOLLAND.

LBER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12,1909.

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'VERGIL MULHOLL AND, 0F EDGEWQ OD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HEYL & PAT- TERSON INQ, OF PITTSBUR H, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

LEER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that I, VERGIL MU-LHOLLAND, a resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Leers; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and-exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the process of annealing glassware as well as to the leer em ployed in connection therewith.

The main object of my invention is to provide a process, whereby the temperature of the glass annealed may be brought from that required for its proper annealing down to the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere at an even rate of cooling, that is, the temperature is lowered the same number of degrees in each succeeding unit of time.

My invention will be fully described and claimed in copnection with the following description and claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of my improved leer; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of same; Fig. 3 is a part plan and part horizontal section of same; F ig. 4 is a I section on the line M Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 Fig. 1; and Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic views showing the natural rate of cooling, the ordinary rate of cooling and the even rate of cooling, as obtained by the practice of my invention.

In the drawings the numeral 2 designates the brick and tile work of which my improvedleer is constructed, the parts being held and tied together by suitable frame work 3 composed of angle bars connected together by tie rods 1. The gas lines 5, as shown in Fig. 4, are connected up with the main gas flue 6 controlled by a suitable valve 7. Natural gas or producer gas may be employed as fuel. The air-due 8 is sup-' plied with air from the air-flue 9 connected up with the air intake chamber 10 which is open to the atmosphere at 11. The airand gas admitted in this way enter the combustion chamber 12 Where the combustion takes place. The heated products of combustion pass out through the *ports 13 and up the tines 14 to the space 16 abovethe annealing chamber. The annealing chamber for purposes of description may e said to bothvided into three sections 17,17 and .17 for Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 12, 1809.

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Serial No. 501,810.

19 to the inlet through the pipes 20 located in the intake chamber 10. These pipes 20 furnish the draft for the combustion chamber and said pipes extend back where they open into the main 21 which is supplied with the blower 22. :Dampers 23 are provided in the draft pipes 20 to control the draft, said dampers :being operated by the handles 2i. Within the air intake chamber 10 is the pipe 25, said pipe being composed of sections gradually increasing in diameter. The inner end of the pipe 25 is connected up with .the chamber 26 which is separated from the section 17 of the annealing chamber by the plate 27. There are a series of such chambers 26 extending along the section 17 of the annealing chamber and said chambers are separated from each other by the dividing walls 28. The pipe 25 has .the connections29 which pass up throughthe top walls 30 of the chambers 26 and these connections gradually increase in diameter. The top 30 of .the chambers '26 is preferably formed I subjebtto thesuction action ofthe blower 22.

At the outer or delivery end of the leer are the chambers 33 similar to the chamber 26 but not providedwith air inlet ports 32 as in the ease of the chambers 26. These chambers 33 are connectedup with the large main 21. The chambers 33 have openings 3A which open communication between said chambers 33 and the open end of the section 17- of the annealing chamber, said openings being controlled by dampers 35. As the outer end of the annealing chamber is open the cold air coming in the said opening may be drawnup through the openings 34 into th hambers 33 when the dampers 35 are opened.

:l Vithin the annealing chamber are the leer pans 36 which are carried by an endless conveyer passing around sprocket wheels 37 .at each end of. the leer, one of said sprocket wheels being driven fronia suitable source of power. The ware is inpans through the openculation or draft of air in the main .ware

chambers 17 and 17, thus allowing a more exact regulation of temperature and also .confining any air circulation to the space 17 under the chambers 33, and insuring the air supply for chambers 33 coming from :the rear orjdischarge end of the leer.

-From the well knownvlaws of cooling as set forth'by the authorities, such as Piclet and 'Dulong, the natural rate of cooling of an object of glassware, taken at a red heat and placed where the air and surrounding objects are at the ordinary temperature of the atmosphere, may be expressed diagrammatically, as in Fig. 7 where the temperature in degrees is plotted against the time required for'cooling and in which the full curved line A, C, B, represents,,the natural rate of cooling, while the dotted straight line A, D, B, represents an even rate of cooling. From this diagram it will be observed that the rate of cooling in the beginning of the process isvery much more rapid than that during the last stages. In the ordinary process commonly practised for the annealing of glass ware this too rapid rate of cooling in the first of the 'process'zis partly overcome by maintaining the air-and surrounding walls of the leer at a temperature nearer. that of the glass to be cooled. Such process, or the leersused therewith, fail to provide, however, for any .means of increasing the-natural rate of cooling as the lower temperatures are reached where the natural cooling rate is much less than an average rate would be. This-necessitates the allowing of a eater rate of cooli'ngthanthe average at t e higher temperatures to-compensatefor less than the average "rate, which isiall that'can" be obtained at the lower temperatures im order, that the: ware may reach the temperature desired at the completion 'of th'e process.-

'This may be illustrateddiagrammatically,

as shown in Fig. 8 which ,isftaken from an average. of actual measurementsv and in which the temperature indegrees Fahrenheit of the ware is plotted against the time consumedin cooling. The full curved line E, F, G, H, represents the-"actual rate of cooling, while the dotted line E, J, I), rep-' resents an average or even rate of cooling.

7 It will be observed from Fig. '8 that an even cooling rate is 200 per hour, whilethe actual rate, according to theprocess at present practised, is about 3809' in the firsthour, or

almost twice the average or even "rate of cooling, and in the last hour the actual rate is only 90,'or less than half the average or even rate. Obviously far better annealing results will be obtained if the rate'of cooling is even and I obtain this result by the method of first retarding the. natural rate of cooling to make it coincide with the average rate until the two naturally-coincide'and then accelerate the natural rate of cooling to keep it coincident with the average rate of cooling until the final desired temperature is reached.

My process will be well understood in connection with the practical operation of the above described leer and I will proceed to describe the operation of said leer in con-' 'nection with the annealing of glassware.

When my improved leer is in use the gas is turned on to enter the gas-fines and the air supply through the air-flues mixes with the gas and said air and gas are ignitedv in the combustion chamber 12. The heated products of combustion surround the section 17 of the annealing chamber adjacent to the place where the ware is introduced so as to maintain that portion of the leer at such a temperature as will maintain or raise the ware when introduced ator to a proper uniform degree of heat. It the ware is at the the leer it will accordingly be' maintained at that temperature for the time being, or if not at proper temperature it will be raised to such proper temperature by the heat Within the annealing chamber. It will be understood that it is most essential and desirable to have all parts of the ware equally heated before the process ofcooling; begins so that by a gradual cooling of the" ware, as it proceeds through the annealing -chamber all the parts will be cooled uniformly and internal strains avoided. The products of combustion pass up and escape throughthe combustion draft-flues 20, being drawn oil into the large 'main 21 by the blower 22. The section17 of the annealing chamber is surrounded on four sides by the heated products of combustionand the top of said chamber will become highly heated be no drafts or currents in the annealing chamber as the heated products of combus-. tio-n do not-pass directly through sald chainposit-on the ware-which is liable to occur considerable saving in fuel.

of the ,heat which would otherwise bewasted, therebyfraising the temperature in 1 thecombustion chamber and resulting in As is wellknown, it is essential forthe H proper temperature when introduced into 'and thefheat-radi ated therefrom will heat the chamber 17. Furthermore, there willv her and 'consequently there will be no dewhere producer gas is employed. The air. 1 20 by the pipe 25 which connects up to the chambers 26 l. carry off the excess heat by admitting air from the outside through the. flues 31. This insulation of the section 17 referred to is due to the air space in the side walls forming the fines 31 and the use of the asbestos 4O interposed between the walls as indicated, in Fig. 6. The heat given ofi' by the ware inthe leer will radiate through the plate 27 forming the top of the annealing chamber 17 and heat the air in the chamber26. The amount ofheat absorbed from the ware in this manner is controlled by the amount of air admitted by the flues 31 and allowed to pass through the chamber 26 which is regulated by the damper 30. The pipe 25 carries off the air from these chambers and there is a constant circulation and introduction of fresh air into said chamhers. The forced draft created by the blower 22 remains constantand-the draft from the chambers 26 is not affected by outside atmospheric conditions. The size of the connections leading from the chambers 26 to the pipe 25 increases as the discharge end of the leer is approached because a greater volume of air is of necessity carried through each succeeding chamber 26 as the discharge end is neared in order to carry the same quantity of heat from each chamber. This is due to the fact that the temperature of the ware, the top plate, etc., is being gradually reduced and consequently it requires a greater volume of air in each'succeeding chamber 26 to absorb the necessary heat units to reduce the temperature of the ware. In this way the temperature of the ware is gradually lowered so that all parts cool at an equal rate and internal strains are,

avoided. After a certain temperature has been reached the cooling in the mann er above set forth is no longer adequate and further cooling is effected by the air entering the discharge end of the leer which is drawn directly over the ware and carried up and out through theopenings 34 into the large main 21 controlled by dampers 25. By such dampers the volume of air is so controlled that a less volume of air passes over each succeeding section 33 from the discharge end in.

By my invention I obtain a gradual reduction in the temperature from that which is just'below the point, where the ware would be distorted by the heat'to that of the outside air and thisis accomplished without introducing the products of combustion di- The insulation of rectly into the annealing chamber which often carry more or less solid matter which is deposited on the ware and necessitates the washing of the ware to remove it. Further.

more, the heat contained within the annealing chamber is not subject to variations caused by the temperature and humidity of the outside air, or even changes in the di rect-ion of the wind, and consequently there is not the same care required in controlling the heat of the leer.

By my invention I make use ofthe waste heat of the products of combustion for heating the air used for combustion and thus secure a higher temperature in the fire chamher while at the same .time I am enabled to secure proper temperature in the annealing chamber '17 due merely to the radiation of the heat. from the fire box through the walls of the flue.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. The methodof annealing glassware consisting in retarding the natural rate of cooling up .to a point where the natural rate of coolingand the desired rate of cooling coincide, or substantially coincide, and then accelerating the natural rate of cooling from that point on. i

2. The method of annealing glassware. consisting in bringing the same to an even,

or substantially even, temperature through- 3. A leer for glassware comprising an,

annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, said air chambers and annealing chamber being non-communicating, and means for drawing the air fromv said air chamber.

4. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, a heat conductor separating said annealing chamber from said air-chambers, and means for drawing oil the air from said air-chambers.

5. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air-chambers above said annealing chamber, a metal plate separating said annealing chamber from said air chambers, and means for drawing oil the air from said air-chambers.

6. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air-chambers ,above the said annealing chamber, said air chambers and annealing chamber being non-communi- Eating, an exhaust pipe, and connections between said exhaust pipe and said air chambers.

7. A leer for glassware comprising flan annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a serles of air-chambers above said annealing chamber, and means for drawing ofi increased quantities of air from each succeeding air-chamber.

8. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, an exhaust pipe, and connections between said exhaustpipe and said air chambers, said connections from said exhaust pipe to said air-chambers gradually increasing. in size toward the discharge end of said leer.

9. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, an exhaust pipe, connections between said exhaust pipe and said air chambers, said pipe gradually increasing in diameter toward the discharge end of said leer.

10. A leer for glassware, comprising an annealing chamber, means for. heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, means for supplying the same with air, an exhaust pipe, connections between said exhaust pipe and each of said air chambers and dampers in said connections v 11. leer for glassware comprising an anneallng chamber, an air intake flue extending longitudinally of the leer along the annealing chamber and communicating with the combustion chamber, means for supplying gas to the combustion chamber, a pipe for the roducts of combustion passing through said air intake flue, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber,

means for supplying the said air chambers with air, a pipe extending through said air intake fiue,'* *connections between said pipe and ieach of said air chambers, a main pipe into which said pipes discharge, and an exhauster connected up with said main pipe. 12. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing chamber, means for heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, means for supplying the same with air, an exhaust pipe, connections between said exhaust pipe and said air chambers, said annealing chamber having communication with certain of said air chambers atthe discharge end of said an? nealing chamber, means for controlling said communication and means for admitting air at the discharge end of said annealing chamber. I

13. A leer for glassware comprising an annealing. chamber, 'means for'heating the same, a series of air chambers above said annealing chamber, means for supplying the same with air, an exhaust pipe and connections between said exhaust pipe and said air chambers, said annealing chamber having openings leading into certain of said air chambers at the discharge (and of said annealing. chamber, dampers controlling said openings and means for admitting air at the discharge end of said annealing chamber,

In testimony whereof, I the said VERGIL MULHOLLAND have hereunto set my hand.

VERGIL MULHOLLAND. 

